Humpday Round-up—News in the journalism world

The Toronto Star is reporting that a Toronto-based blogger who has been locked up in an Iranian jail for two years on propaganda charges could now face execution. Prosecutors apparently think initiating a dissident Persian blogosphere calls for the death penalty.

CBC News Toronto viewers will be seeing some new faces this fall. Anne-Marie Mediwake—morning news desk anchor on CBC News Network— and Dwight Drummond—who is leaving CityTV after 20 years—will co-anchor Toronto’s local news at 5:00, 5:30 and 6:00 pm. Their takeover begins October 12.

The broadcaster also announced that it will sell its “landmark” Sackville Street building in downtown Halifax. All radio and television operations will be operated out of the CBC Bell Road location, which will undergo an expansion.

Well, whaddoyaknow? Friday is International Freelancers Day—at least, according to organizers of a freelancers event (hmm…). Why not celebrate freestyle working with an online conference for “solo professionals”? I predict celebratory Hallmark cards—probably including some squiggly stickman sleeping in until noon alongside a “Tough Life of a Freelancer” caption—in the near future.

Reporters Without Borders has announced it will join French newspaper Le Monde in its complaint against Sarkozy’s office. The complaint alleges Sarkozy aides violated a recent law that protects journalists’ sources by using a French intelligence agency to track down who was leaking information to Le Monde. The adoption to increase source protection in French law had been personally supported by Sarkozy.